Sraey Nich

Assistant Officer  

Hi, my name is Srey Nich and I am 21 years old. I was born in PuTrang village, a charming sleepy little village tucked in DakDam Commune, in O’Reang district, Mondolkiri Province. I still live in Putrang village because my roots are here, in this village, where my ancestors rest in these burial grounds and my family work in the rice fields.  Now, my husband and our daughter are living with me.  

I left school after grade 9 to help my family at home and on the farm.  Furthermore,  because of my education and my P’hnong heritage, this allowed me to find a job easily outside my village, with a P’hnong NGO in Sen Monrom Town. 

Srae Nich

Education has guided me through some bumpy periods in my life and as a result, it has taught me well in the work place.  Additionally, I have made many connections and know a lot of people whom I work closely with.    

Education has also helped me with my personal life, to earn a decent salary that has allowed me to support my family, including my husband and our daughter. Through my networking at work, we can visit many places outside my village.

When I’m not working in my regular job in Sen Monorom Town,  I live and work at my family’s farm, in the rice fields.  I am so happy to say, that we now produce an extra yield of rice twice a year thanks to my education and the extra money that I earn for my family.  With the extra yield of rice we get each year, we bag it and sell it to the other Provinces.  Therefore, with this extra money that we get, I am happy to say, that it used to help our community.

My appeal to all parents with children aged 6 and above, would be to go and enroll them in the schools throughout Mondolkiri Province. It will not cost you anything to enroll your child.  Please know that your children will reap the many benefits of having an education.   Because with an education, they will gain a lot of skills, they will have more job prospects, they will earn more money.   And, like me, they will not only improve their thinking skills in a more critical way, and they will also improve their family’s standard of living.

More later ....